In order to encourage proper disposal of unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District hosted a collection drive which brought in 3,443 pounds (the weight of a convertible car) of the medications April 28 at Miller Park.
This seventh annual event, National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, hosted in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), lasted four hours and drew nearly 1000 people. Milwaukee police officers were on standby to assist the collection process.
“We had 970 people show up at Miller Park on a cold, rainy day Saturday,” says Bill Graffin, MMSD’s public information manager. “I think that says a lot about the need for these collections and people’s willingness to do the right thing by properly disposing unused medications, helping to keep them out of the hands of people who abuse drugs and our waterways.”
Another 2,670 pounds were also pooled together from various local police stations, most of which take in prescription drugs all year round. All of the collected medications are destined for death by fire.
